Insiders Want Trump Out

For months now, there has been a conspiracy theory growing. And even though sometimes it is put to rest, the same theory seems to keep rearing its head back up, returning questions and speculation. The conspiracy theory is this: Speaker of the House Paul Ryan will be the next president of the United States.

This might sound all too familiar to you, or it might come as a shock. If it’s a shock, here is the background.

Paul Ryan flew onto the political scene as Mitt Romney’s running mate back in 2011. The young, vibrant congressman from Wisconsin was dedicated to economic reform, in particular, through conservative principles. He loves Ayn Rand and public service and was relatively unknown- the perfect combination for a running mate.

After Romney/Ryan failed to win the White House, Ryan went back to work. He tackled the War on Poverty, and has an extensive tax reform that includes welfare reform. Ryan proved himself to be a man of action. While considered a relatively moderate Republican, his staunch views of economic liberty makes him loved by the powerful Freedom Caucus, and makes him able to reach across the aisle to get things done.

So this is why when Speaker of the House John Boehner said he was going to resign, Ryan was the perfect pick. He, of course, staunchly refused the most powerful position in the legislative branch. In a blink of the eye, Kevin McCarthy was out of the discussion, and somehow, Ryan was the new Speaker of the House. Normally, representatives wait years in leadership positions for this coveted role. But for Ryan, it seemed to have happened over night.

And then, as the primary season heated up and so did the reactions towards Donald Trump, the same sentiments happened. People started to talk about Paul Ryan writing himself in and running for president. There was so much attention towards this possibility, but it was put to rest after Ryan officially endorsed Trump to be president. You would think that at this point, the rumors would calm down.

Relatively, they did. Ryan appeared at the convention despite many Republicans turning down their invitations, and showed a strong face of unity for Donald Trump. While there were some rumors that the delegates would overthrow Trump’s nomination and insert Ryan or Cruz, this did not happen and it all seemed smooth sailing to Trump’s acceptance speech.

Now, there are more rumors in such an eventful election. Many people think that Trump will drop out before the election. In fact, they are calling for him to drop out. A Florida Republican told Politico, “The effect Trump is having on down-ballot races has the potential to be devastating in November.”

During any presidential election, we forget about the legislative body, which is more important at times than the presidency. And the House and the Senate both have majorities right now in Congress. But according to GOP members across the country, Trump’s candidacy is ruining their chance for reelection. Furthermore, they say his rhetoric towards the Hispanic community has put Republicans back years with this minority group. So while Trump’s poll numbers look high, the rest of GOP lawmakers are paying the price. This is why we saw so few members of Congress at the convention in July.

If Trump did drop out, the Republican National Committee would have to pick a replacement. Do you have any guess who they might pick?

Speaker of the House Paul Ryan.

Are you having deja vu? Because this same situation seemed to have just happened. But now, it is on a much grander scale. Trump’s campaign insists there is no possibility that Trump will drop out of the race. But as we have seen this election, anything can happen.